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COLAGE News BlogCOLAGE Applauds Defeat of Anti-Gay Adoption and Foster Care Bill Mar 27 07COLAGE Applauds Defeat of Anti-Gay Adoption and Foster Care Bill COLAGE is thrilled by the decision of the Arkansas House Judiciary Committee today to reject SB 959, a bill that would have banned gay people and most unmarried heterosexual couples who live together from adopting or serving as foster parents. "Not only was SB 959 unconstitutional, but it was also simply a vicious attack on our families," said Meredith Fenton, COLAGE Program Director. "The defeat of this bill is a victory for COLAGErs and our families against hatred and ignorance." Scores of people crowded into the House Judiciary Committee meeting at the Arkansas State Capital to observe this morning's hearing. If passed, the bill would have categorically banned lesbian and gay Arkansans from adopting or serving as foster parents, even if they are relatives of the children in question. It would also have banned unmarried heterosexual couples who live together unless they're related to the child, which would prevent godparents or family friends from caring for a child if the parents die or can't keep the child. Arkansas's Child Welfare Agency Review Board had established a policy in 1999 that banned gay people from serving as foster parents, and the Arkansas Supreme Court struck it down last year after a seven-year legal battle between the state and the ACLU. Several prominent child welfare groups took an interest in the case, with friend-of-the-court briefs being submitted by Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families, the Child Welfare League of America, the National Association of Social Workers and its Arkansas chapter, the American Psychological Association and its Arkansas chapter, and the Evan B. Donaldson Adoption Institute. In overturning the earlier ban, the Arkansas Supreme Court wrote, "(T)he driving force behind adoption of the regulation was not to promote the health, safety, and welfare of foster children, but rather based upon the Board's view of morality and its bias against homosexuals." COLAGE applauds the leadership of the ACLU in this important victory! For more information about this and other cases in Arkansas, please visit the ACLU of Arkansas. COLAGE Connecticut Action Alert Mar 27 07Connecticut leaders are working on gaining full marriage equality. Yesterday the legislature’s Judiciary Committee held a public hearing on HB 7395, An Act Concerning Marriage Equality. The hearing lasted nearly 12 hours! There was powerful testimony from a broad range of supporters including Anna Heller, adult daughter of a lesbian mom who was one of the founders of COLAGE. View all written testimony from the public hearing The arguments in support of marriage equality clearly won the day. But public testimony is not enough. The Judiciary Committee will vote soon. Legislators need to hear from their constituents. Please take a minute now to help move this bill to the full House of Representatives for debate. Visit the website for Love Makes a Family to easily send an email to your officials in support of the bill. If you live in Connecticut and want to get involved in efforts to promote marriage equality, contact COLAGE today! Also connect with our COLAGE Connecticut chapter which is based in the greater Hartford area. COLAGE Action Alert for Arkansas Mar 23 07Tell the Arkansas Legislature: Vote No on SB 959 SB 959, a measure that seeks to ban gay people and most unmarried heterosexual couples who live together from adopting or serving as foster parents, has been voted through the Arkansas Senate and is soon to be considered by the Arkansas House Judiciary Committee. This measure would categorically ban lesbian and gay Arkansans from adopting or serving as foster parents, even if they're relatives of the children in question. It would also ban unmarried heterosexual couples who live together unless they're related to the child, which could prevent godparents or family friends from caring for a child if the parents die or can't keep the child. It is crucial that Arkansans whose Representatives are on the House Judiciary Committee ask their legislators to vote NO on SB 959. If you are a youth or adult with one or more LGBT parent/s who lives in Arkansas, we need YOU to share your story! Please contact COLAGE to get involved. Below you will find contact information for the relevant leaders, talking points for phone calls, and model text for emails or letters to your leaders. For more information, please feel free to contact us, as well as visit the ACLU's website for updated information. The bill has been sent to the House Judiciary Committee. A hearing date has not been set yet, but we encourage constituents to call committee members now. According to the Associated Press, Reps. Lamont Cornwell of Benton, John Paul Wells of Paris, and Jon Woods of Springdale have said they will likely vote for the ban, so constituents in their districts are especially encouraged to call. Cornwell told the AP that so far he has heard from 246 constituents in favor of the bill and only three against it. The main message to get across is to "Vote NO on SB959." It’s also important that you tell the Representative that you are a constituent and include your name and address. All Arkansas Representatives may be left a telephone message at: 501- 501-682-6211. If you do not know your state representative, the office will look this information up for you. The telephone number for Governor Mike Beebe is: 501-682-2345.
John Paul Wells, Paris, District 84 Jon Woods, Springdale, District 93 Tommy Baker, Osceola, District 55 Will Bond, Jacksonville, District 44 Steven Breedlove, Greenwood, District 67 Earnest Brown Jr., Pine Bluff, District 16 Jerry Brown, Wynne, District 57 Aaron Burkes, Lowell, District 95 Joan Cash, Jonesboro, District 75 Steve Harrelson, Texarkana, District 1 Robert Jeffrey, Camden, District 7 David Johnson, Little Rock, District 38 Robert Moore Jr., Arkansas City, Mark Pate, Bald Knob, District 49 Tracy Pennartz, Fort Smith, District 65 David Powers, Hope, District 3 Chris Thyer, Jonesboro, District 74 Charolette Wagner, Manila, District 77 Talking points: * The state of Arkansas doesn't have enough foster and adoptive homes available for children awaiting placement. Limiting the pool of potential parents through a blanket restriction like SB 959 would create would only mean that even more children go without good homes. * Child welfare experts agree that all potential foster or adoptive parents should be subjected to the same individual screening process to determine their ability to provide a safe, stable, nurturing homes for children. * All of the major Arkansas and national groups dedicated to children's health and welfare oppose blanket restrictions on parenting by lesbians and gay men.
Dear [ Decision Maker ], Although this legislation purports to "protect" the children of Arkansas, instead it would hurt the many children in need of adoptive and foster homes in Arkansas . It would tie the hands of caseworkers and prevent them from making the placements they deem best for some children. 25 years of research on lesbian and gay parents and their children shows that gay people are just as capable of being good parents as heterosexuals and the children raised by gay parents are just as well-adjusted. Not a single study has found any harm to children from being raised by gay parents. {Insert your personal experience} All of the major Arkansas groups dedicated to children's health and welfare -- Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families, the Arkansas Psychological Association and the Arkansas chapter of the National Association of Social Workers -- recognize that gay people can be equally good parents and, thus, oppose restrictions on parenting by lesbians and gay men. All of the national children's health and welfare groups agree too, including the American Academy of Pediatricians, the American Psychological Association, the National Association of Social Workers, and the Child Welfare League of America. The Arkansas Supreme Court has already struck down a ban on fostering by gay people, saying that it served no child welfare purpose. Arkansas already individually screens every prospective foster parent through a criminal records check, health screening, and a home study. Anyone, gay or straight, that the state finds unfit to parent is already excluded. This bill is nothing but an attempt to get around the court's ruling at the expense of children who need homes. Sincerely, [Your name] [Your address] COLAGE Speak OUT Member COLAGE Action Alert for NH Mar 21 07COLAGE is re-posting the following Action Alert for new Hampshire from Representative Ed Butler. Please call your representatives who are in the Judiciary Committee to voice your support for legal recognition of LGBT couples. Many of you who are receiving this know me and many do not. I am a Representative to the NH House from Carroll County in the Mount Washington Valley. COLAGE Action Alert for Illinois Mar 16 07CIVIL UNION BILL UPDATE Please Take Action! The House committee vote on the Religious Freedom and Civil Union Act -- HB1826 has been rescheduled for: The civil union bill guarantees many of the rights and responsibilities to persons in civil unions that are currently granted to persons in civil marriages. Among those rights are the ability to participate in healthcare visitation and decision making for one’s partner, survivor benefits and the right to make disposition decisions about deceased partner’s remains. The bill also affirms religious institutions’ right not to recognize such unions or to solemnize a civil union. How to Take Action: 1. Contact Representative Greg Harris (D-Chicago) and thank him for his sponsorship. Email Rep. Harris at greg@gregharris.org 2. Contact the Human Services Committee members and urge a yes vote on the bill. Make sure you include your personal story about how this bill would impact you and your family: Rep. Naomi Jakobsson (D-Champaign) - njakobsson@worldnet.att.net 3. To stay up to date on this bill and other issues of LGBT equality in Illinois, visit: Equality Illinois. 4. If you are a youth or adult with one or more LGBT parent/s in Illinois and want to be more involved with supporting this bill, contact COLAGE. COLAGE Report Back from AMSA Conference Mar 15 07Last weekend, COLAGE presented a standing-room-only session at the American Medical Student Association national conference. The presentation, And Baby Makes Three was dedicated to the current issues of same-sex parenting including reproductive rights and adoption. The Human Rights Campaign presented information about legislation impacting LGBT families within the realm of health care. Ryan LaLonde, COLAGE Board of Directors co-chair next presented on the actual impacts on LGBT families as well as debuted a brand new COLAGE resource: Tips for Medical Professionals for Making Better/Safer Environments for Children with LGBT Parents. Join COLAGE at Youth Advocacy Day in California Mar 13 07Calling youth with one or more lesbian, gay, bisexual and/or transgender parents! http://www.gsanetwork.org/qyad/index.html COLAGE will be attending to make sure the voices of students with LGBT parents are represented. Sign up for the bus closest to you and meet COLAGE Staff in Sacramento. (We may be able to arrange some transportation from the Bay Area) In the afternoon we'll be co-sponsoring a drop-in Youth Activism Space where you can connect with others with LGBT parents, gain some new skills and participate in cool advocacy projects such as art, media activism and digital storytelling. Get in touch if you have questions or to let us know that you are planning to attend! Arkansas Action Alert for COLAGErs Mar 13 07
Below you will find contact information for the relevant leaders, talking points for phone calls, and model text for emails or letters to your leaders. For more information, visit www.acluarkansas.org for updated information. You can also contact COLAGE to learn other ways of supporting the efforts to fight this ridiculous bill! The telephone number for Governor Mike Beebe is: 501-682-2345. All Arkansas Representatives may be left a telephone message at: 501-682-6211. Suggested talking points: * The state of Arkansas doesn't have enough foster and adoptive homes available for children awaiting placement. Limiting the pool of potential parents through a blanket restriction like SB 959 would create would only mean that even more children go without good homes. * 25 years of child welfare research has shown that lesbian and gay people are no more likely to sexually abuse or otherwise mistreat children than heterosexual people. The only “research� to the contrary has been widely discredited by every mainstream child advocacy, medical, social work, and psychological organization. * Child welfare experts agree that all potential foster or adoptive parents should be subjected to the same individual screening process to determine their ability to provide a safe, stable, nurturing homes for children. * All of the major Arkansas and national groups dedicated to children's health and welfare oppose blanket restrictions on parenting by lesbians and gay men.
Indiana Action Alert for COLAGErs Mar 13 07Marriage Discrimination Amendment Assigned to House Committee Tell the House Rules & Legislative Procedures Committee that SJR 7 is Wrong for Indiana On Monday Senate Joint Resolution 7, the marriage discrimination amendment, was assigned to the House Rules and Legislative Procedures Committee, chaired by Rep. Scott Pelath (D-Michigan City). COLAGE believes that discriminatory amendments such as this are an attack on our families and asks our members in Indiana to help stop this bill. Especially if your State Representative is on this committee, we urge you to contact them and ask them to oppose this discriminatory amendment. If your State Representative is not on this committee, we ask you to contact the committee chair. Committee members are: Scott Pelath (D-Michigan City), Chair – h9@in.gov Please tell the members of the House Rules and Legislative Procedures Committee that Senate Joint Resolution 7, the Marriage Discrimination Amendment, is wrong for Indiana: It is more important that ever for these committee members to hear from you. Please take a few minutes and e-mail them today! CO LGBT Adoption Bill Moves Forward Mar 9 07COLAGE is happy to announce that the bill to allow same-sex couples and unmarried partners to adopt kids sped through the Colorado House committee Thursday without a single witness testifying against it. Republican legislatures in 2003 and 2004 killed similar bills, but with Democrats in charge, the bill appears speeding toward passage. Colorado law allows married couples or single individuals to adopt a child. The legislation by Madden, D-Boulder, would extend that right to a specified second adult parent that could include a same-sex partner, an unmarried opposite-sex partner or a relative seeking to help a single mother. Judi von Gaia of COLAGE Denver explained that when she and her partner adopted a son 17 years ago, they had to move from Colorado to Washington for both to be considered legal parents. They moved back to Denver six months later because Colorado recognizes adoptions that occur elsewhere, but the time away from family and friends was hard on them, she said. The bill moves now to the House floor. If it passes and gets Gov. Bill Ritter’s signature, Colorado would become the 25th state to allow adoptions by same-sex couples. To be involved in helping this bill pass, get in touch with Equality Colorado and learn about their upcoming Lobby Day. COLAGE at the Texas Student Action Summit Mar 7 07The 2007 Student Action Summit is Texas' 2nd statewide student organizing conference, hosted by Equality Texas, StandOut and GSAs from across the state. Building on the success of the 1st Action Summit in 2005, this year's Summit will focus on providing students with the resources they need to create a learning environment where they feel safe from discrimination and harassment. Sunday, March 25th is a day of lobby training and planning workshops to develop crucial skills for grassroots organizing and empowering students to get involved in the political process, at both the state and local levels. COLAGE is thrilled to be presenting a session about youth with LGBT parents and how they can impact change during this Summit. Kyle Michaels, a member of the COLAGE Speak OUT program will present a workshop- Stay tuned for details! Location: On Monday, March 26th, the Summit culminates in a direct action at the Capitol where we will lobby for the Student Safety Bill. MI Introduces pro-LGBT adoption bill Mar 7 07House Bill 4259 was introduced in the Michigan House of Representatives on February 12. Stay tuned or contact COLAGE for more information about this positive bill. COLAGE Published in new Journal Volume Mar 7 07COLAGE is pleased to announce a new article published in the Journal of GLBT Familiy Studies: Innovations in Theory, Research, and Practice. (Volume 2, Number3/4 2006). COLAGE: Providing Community, Education, Leadership and Advocacy by and for Children of GLBT Parents was co-authored by Kate Kuvalanka PhD, Orson Morrison, Psy D. and Beth Teper, COLAGE Executive Director. Learn more about the Journal and the COLAGE article. Action Alert in Colorado Mar 6 07Second Parent Adoption Bill Introduced in Colorado HB07-1330 SECOND PARENT ADOPTION OF A CHILD OF A SOLE LEGAL PARENT EXPLANATION We will be encouraging folks to attend the committee to testify during the hearing on this bill. Contact COLAGE or Stay Tuned to Equal Rights Colorado to learn more. Download HB07-1330: COLAGEr Action Alert in Arkansas Mar 6 07 Below you will find contact information for the relevant leaders, talking points for phone calls, and model text for emails or letters to your leaders. For more information, please feel free to visit the ACLU's website for updated information.
* the committee members * their own state senators, and * the Governor's office All Arkansas Senators may be left a telephone message at: 501-682-2902. If you do not know your state senator, the office will look this information up for you. The telephone number for Governor Mike Beebe is: 501-682-2345 Members of the Senate Public Health Committee include: Chair Jack Critcher: jcritcher@arkleg.state.ar.us Vice Chair Tracy Steele: tsteele@arkleg.state.ar.us Senator Percy Malone: pmalone@arkleg.state.ar.us Senator Hank Wilkins IV: hwilkins@arkleg.state.ar.us Senator Barbara Horn: bhorn@arkleg.state.ar.us Senator Randy Laverty: no email listed Senator Bill Pritchard: pritchardb@arkleg.state.ar.us Senator Jack Crumbly: no email listed Talking points: * The state of Arkansas doesn't have enough foster and adoptive homes available for children awaiting placement. Limiting the pool of potential parents through a blanket restriction like SB 959 would create would only mean that even more children go without good homes. * Child welfare experts agree that all potential foster or adoptive parents should be subjected to the same individual screening process to determine their ability to provide a safe, stable, nurturing homes for children. * All of the major Arkansas and national groups dedicated to children's health and welfare oppose blanket restrictions on parenting by lesbians and gay men. Model text for your email: Dear [ Decision Maker ], As your constituent, I urge you to vote no on SB 959, which is currently in the Arkansas Senate. Although this legislation purports to "protect" the children of Arkansas, instead it would hurt the many children in need of adoptive and foster homes in Arkansas . It would tie the hands of caseworkers and prevent them from making the placements they deem best for some children. 25 years of research on lesbian and gay parents and their children shows that gay people are just as capable of being good parents as heterosexuals and the children raised by gay parents are just as well-adjusted. Not a single study has found any harm to children from being raised by gay parents. {Insert your personal story} All of the major Arkansas groups dedicated to children's health and welfare -- Arkansas Advocates for Children and Families, the Arkansas Psychological Association and the Arkansas chapter of the National Association of Social Workers -- recognize that gay people can be equally good parents and, thus, oppose restrictions on parenting by lesbians and gay men. All of the national children's health and welfare groups agree too, including the American Academy of Pediatricians, the American Psychological Association, the National Association of Social Workers, and the Child Welfare League of America. The Arkansas Supreme Court has already struck down a ban on fostering by gay people, saying that it served no child welfare purpose. Arkansas already individually screens every prospective foster parent through a criminal records check, health screening, and a home study. Anyone, gay or straight, that the state finds unfit to parent is already excluded. This bill is nothing but an attempt to get around the court's ruling at the expense of children who need homes. Sincerely, [Your name] [Your address] New COLAGE Resource Mar 5 07COLAGE is pleased to present a new, fun resource for youth with LGBT Parents. COLAGE at the AMSA Conference Mar 5 07Join COLAGE at the Upcoming AMSA Conference for a session about LGBT families. March 7-11, 2007 * Washington, DC Session: And Baby Makes Three The Advocacy Committee on Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender People in Medicine and the Action Committee on Health Policy team up to bring you this session dedicated to the current issues of same-sex parenting including reproductive rights and adoption. This session will include a panel of parents and children of same-sex couples from the national organization, COLAGE, as well as expert summary of current and future legislation and its effect on families across the nation via the National Field Director for Human Rights Campaign (HRC), Marty Rouse. You don't want to miss this animated discussion of critical importance. COLAGE Hiring a Development Manager Mar 1 07COLAGE seeks a Development Manager to develop, coordinate & implement major components of the organization’s annual fund development plan and development department systems. The Development Manager helps ensure the growth and financial health of COLAGE by gathering and increasing resources, promoting visibility and securing long term support through a variety of fund development strategies, including but not limited to: grassroots fundraising, individual and family donor cultivation, events coordination, promotional communications, and corporate sponsorships/business partnerships. The Development Manager also strengthens the development infrastructure and helps build the capacity and sustainability of the organization through successful and innovative planning, administrative, financial, and data management activities and improvements.
Salary: FTE salary is $35,000 – 40,000 DOE. Hours: full-time (40 hrs/week); occasional travel, eves and weekends required. Status: Exempt. Supervisor: Executive Director. Supervises: Volunteers, Intern(s) as assigned. Benefits: Health insurance for medical, dental, vision, acupuncture/chiropractic care; vacation, sick, and holiday time; annual educational/training stipend; outstanding opportunity to help grow a leading youth, LGBT, family organization working for social justice. Location: San Francisco, CA. COLAGE is an affirmative action and equal opportunity employer. APPLICATIONS ARE DUE by 5pm, Friday MARCH 9, 2007 PLEASE SEND YOUR APPLICATION BY POSTAL MAIL... NOT EMAIL Include your resume, a cover letter reflecting answers to the guiding questions below, and names of 3 references (w/contact info) that can speak to your abilities For the full job description, contact COLAGE.
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